Chicago @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 8, 2018 ) NY Yankees 7, Chi. White Sox 3

The surging New York Yankees hope to continue making up ground in the American League East when they begin a seven-game homestand with the opener of a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox on Monday. The Yankees have won eight of their last nine contests and four straight after posting a 5-3 victory at Baltimore on Sunday to pull within six games of division-leading Boston.

Luke Voit homered Sunday for the third time in four games for New York and has gone 11-for-29 with nine RBIs in 10 contests since being acquired from St. Louis, while Miguel Andujar is 9-for-19 with six RBIs in his last four games. Masahiro Tanaka looks to reach double figures in wins for the fifth straight season since coming over from Japan when he takes the mound for the Yankees against the red-hot Carlos Rodon in the series opener. The White Sox are not in playoff contention, but they continue to show that they could be a factor next year as they've won three in a row and nine of their last 12 contests. Yolmer Sanchez has reached base in 14 straight contests for Chicago and Daniel Palka needs one homer to reach 20 in his rookie campaign after going deep in Sunday’s 7-2 victory at Detroit.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, ESPN, WGN (Chicago), YES (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: White Sox LH Carlos Rodon (5-3, 2.71 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Masahiro Tanaka (9-4, 3.90)

Rodon has strung together eight straight quality starts while going 4-0, including wins against Minnesota and Detroit in his last two turns. The 25-year-old Floridian has posted a 1.75 ERA during his eight-game unbeaten streak that features three scoreless outings. Austin Romine is 2-for-3 with a double and a homer versus Rodon, who is 1-3 with a 7.11 ERA in four career games against the Yankees.

Tanaka has gone 0-2 over his last four starts but has limited opponents to fewer than three runs in three of those appearances. The 29-year-old native of Japan gave up one run on four hits and a walk in six innings at Miami on Tuesday but did not factor in the decision in the eventual 2-1 victory. Tanaka beat the White Sox twice last season while giving up three runs over 13 frames and is 4-0 with a lifetime 2.23 ERA versus the club.

WALK-OFFS

1. New York OF Giancarlo Stanton, who went 1-for-15 during the four-game sweep in Baltimore, needs one homer to become the fourth-fastest in major-league history to reach 300.

2. Chicago OF Adam Engel has gone 12-for-31 over his last nine games and is 1-for-1 with a walk against Tanaka.

3. The Yankees outscored the White Sox 18-6 during a three-game sweep in Chicago from Aug. 6-8.

PREDICTION: Yankees 4, White Sox 2